Concrete Parking Lot Building in Glendale CA - a lot that drains and holds up to traffic
Cracked, puddled or sinking pavement out front? We build concrete lots with the base, drainage and joints worked out before the pour.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a concrete parking lot in Glendale?
Concrete parking lot building in Glendale means digging out and packing the ground, setting forms, then pouring and finishing a slab that carries cars every day and sends rainwater where you want it, not into the stalls or toward your building.
Most lot calls come from owners and property managers whose pavement has cracked, sunk or started holding water, or who are opening a space and need parking that works from day one. The price mostly turns on the size of the lot, whether old pavement has to come out, how much the ground needs before it can carry a slab, how the water drains and whether you go with regular or pervious concrete. The schedule turns on any permit the city requires, the weather and how long the slab has to cure before cars go on it. After I've walked your site, you get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you can see where the money goes before you decide anything.
How do you know your parking lot needs replacing?
Water sitting in the stalls
Puddles that hang around after rain usually mean the lot was graded too flat or the low spots have settled. Standing water soaks into the base and gets worked by every car that rolls through, so those soft spots turn into cracks the longer you wait.
Cracks that keep growing
A few fine cracks are normal for concrete, but ones that widen, branch or break into loose pieces usually point to a base that's moving or joints that weren't cut in time. Every open crack lets water under the slab, which is why they spread faster once they start.
Sunken or tilted sections
A slab that's dropped near a drain, a curb or a planter is usually sitting on fill that was never packed or ground that stays wet. Those edges turn into trip hazards for your customers, and the concrete around them tends to follow.
How we handle concrete parking lot building
On a lot, the surface and the drainage go hand in hand, so I talk through regular versus pervious concrete with you early and check how the accessible spaces and the route to your door fit the layout before we price it. Then we break out what's there, dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, and pack a base over it so the lot doesn't settle with the dirt. We set forms and grades so water runs to the drains and away from the building, place rebar, the steel that holds the slab together, and pour early in the day so the heat doesn't leave a weak, dusty top. We screed it level, give it a broom finish, a light texture that keeps tires and shoes from slipping, and cut control joints, grooves that give the concrete a planned place to crack, while it's still fresh. Then it cures, kept damp and closed off until it's strong enough for traffic. When a budget gets tight, the base is what people want to trim because nobody sees it once the concrete's down, and I'd rather cut back on the finish, since a nice surface over a soft base cracks just the same.
Lots rarely come alone. Light poles, sign posts and walls along the edge sit on concrete footings that we plan with the paving, so they're sized for the same ground. And when the shop or house beside the lot has settled, we look at foundation raising first, because pouring fresh concrete against a building that's still moving just starts the cracking over.
Get a free on-site estimate for your parking lot
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, walk the lot and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- team@glendaleconcretecompany.com
- Based in
- Glendale, CA 91205
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a parking lot in Glendale?
Here's how a lot job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who's handling each part along the way.
Call or send a request
You reach us by phone or through the form, and we set up a time for me to come see the lot. Tell us roughly what's going on so I know what to look at.
I walk the site with you
I look at the ground, where the water runs now and how the spaces fit, and I ask a lot of questions. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so there's no guessing what the number covers.
We permit, pour and finish
Once you say go, we take care of any permits, prep the ground, then pour and finish with our own crew. At the end we walk the job with you and tell you when it's ready for cars.
Why Glendale property owners call Masterwork Glendale Concrete Company for parking lots
I come out and run the job
I look at your lot and give the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work with me running it. The person who heard your concerns at the first visit is the one standing there when the concrete goes down.
Six years of our own jobs
I started this company in 2020 after years as the right-hand person to another concrete contractor, working up from forming and finishing to running jobs. We've become the crew people call when a job has a puzzle in it, like ground that's settled or water with nowhere to go.
Licensed for pavement in California
California's concrete contractor license covers pavement and flat concrete work, which is exactly what a parking lot is. We're fully licensed and insured.
On a lot, the ground and the water under it decide whether it stays flat, so call (747) 372-8605 or request an estimate and I'll come take a look at yours. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Parking lots, permits and stormwater in Glendale
Glendale Building & Safety decides whether a lot needs a building permit. When it does, we pull it and line up the inspections as part of the job, and if we're not sure, we check with the city before we start. A site that disturbs an acre or more of ground also needs the state's general stormwater permit for construction. Projects that need a city soil disturbance permit have to use erosion and runoff controls during the work to keep soil, sediment and construction waste from washing off the site, and Glendale Public Works says certain development projects also have to build permanent systems that catch and treat stormwater. A parking lot is a big hard surface, so these rules are one more reason we settle the drainage plan early. If your property is in the LA County Flood Control District, you also pay a parcel tax of 2.5 cents per square foot of impermeable surface.
Around Glendale we see a lot of sloped sites where water from higher ground crosses the pavement on its way down, and older lots where the base was never much more than packed dirt, so I want to know where the water's coming from before we set grades. We see the same things on jobs in Burbank and Pasadena, and summer heat everywhere here is why we pour early.
Questions about concrete parking lots in Glendale
How much does a concrete parking lot cost in Glendale?
A reinforced concrete driveway slab on a flat lot in the Glendale and Burbank area usually costs about $9 to $13 per square foot, and that's the closest local reference for paving. A parking lot brings its own costs, like breaking out old pavement, more base work, drainage, accessible spaces and sometimes a slope, so treat that range as a starting point. The written estimate from my site visit puts a number on your lot.
Do I need a permit to build a parking lot in Glendale?
You might, and Glendale Building & Safety decides that for each project. You can call them at 818-548-3200 to ask whether your lot needs a building permit and what the fees are. If it does, we handle it as part of the job, and on bigger sites the stormwater rules above come into play too.
Does my parking lot need accessible parking spaces in California?
If the lot serves a business or another place open to the public, yes. California's accessibility rules cover commercial facilities and privately owned public accommodations, and their lots have to meet the accessible parking rules, with the number of spaces counted separately for each lot on a site. An accessible route also has to connect those spaces, any loading zones and the public sidewalk to the entrance they serve, following the general public's path as far as it can.
Is pervious concrete a good choice for a parking lot in Glendale?
It can be, if handling rainwater matters more to you than a smooth look. Pervious concrete is made with little to no sand, which leaves open spaces that let stormwater soak through, but it looks coarser than regular concrete. Over clay soil it may need a deeper stone base and an underdrain, a pipe that carries extra water away, and stormwater features like this need regular upkeep after they're built, so plan for that from the start.
What causes a concrete parking lot to crack or sink?
Most of the time it's the ground or the water, not the concrete itself. A base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles with the dirt, water that pools or runs under the slab softens what it sits on, and joints cut late or skipped let cracks pick their own spots. That's why I want to know why the old lot failed before we pour a new one.
What is the best way to plan a new parking lot in Glendale?
Start with drainage and layout before you think about the finish, because they shape everything else. Parking lot guidance advises working out the stormwater design with city planning staff as part of the development application. It also helps to know early whether you're leaning toward regular or pervious concrete and where the accessible spaces will go.
Related concrete work around a parking lot
Concrete footings
Light poles, sign posts, carports and edge walls around a lot all need solid footings under them, poured to suit the ground they're sitting on.
See the service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
Sticking doors, cracked walls and a slab that's pulled away from the building can mean the foundation has sunk, and that's worth fixing before new paving goes in.
See the service Foundation raising
Service areas for parking lots around Glendale
Masterwork Glendale Concrete Company is based in Glendale, California, and we work all over the city and the cities around it, from Burbank to Arcadia and beyond. The 12 areas below each have their own page, and they aren't the only places we go.
Glendale, CA
Get your parking lot estimate on the calendar
Have the site address, the rough size of the lot in square feet and the business it serves ready, and I'll come out knowing what to look for.